Mechanism for drawing wire



Sept. 2, 2 E. J. MCILVRIED 2,609,087

MECHANISM FOR DRAWING WIRE Filed March 8, 1948 2 SHEETS:-SHEET 1- II M IN V EN TOR.

50 W//\/ J. M 9 IL VR/ED m *JLMAUAJ Sept; 2, 1952 E. J. M ILVRIED 2,609,087

MECHANISM FOR DRAWING WIRE Filed March 8; 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. EDWIN J. M S IL VR/ED BY OWQJQmM A TTOPNEYS.

Patented Sept. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANISM FOR DRAWING WIRE Edwin J. Mcllvried, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, as-

signor to The Vaughn Machinery Company, CuyahogaFalls, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 8, 1948, Serial No. 13,586

'6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally, as indicated, to a mechanism for drawing wire, and more particularly to certain improvements in a rotary capstan or drum about which wire is adapted to be wrapped and drawn thereby through an adjacent tangentially disposed die, said drum and said die together constituting for example one of a series of units as incorporated in a wire drawing machine of the type disclosed in the application of Edwin J. McIlvried and Norman H. Nye, Serial No. 2,497, filed January 15, 1948.

In the machine referred to, a plurality of drums and associated dies are circularly arranged on a vertically disposed wall of a main frame, there being provided a corresponding series of similarly arranged lubricant supply ducts on such wall operative to squirt lubricant into each die and onto the wire being drawn therethrough whereby the facilitate the drawing operation. The dies between successive drums are of progressively reducing size and likewise successive drums are driven progressively faster whereby wire wrapped around the latter is continuously drawn and subjected to the desired number of drafts.

One essential requirement of the aforesaid drum and die units is that because of the overhanging relation thereof to the supporting wall therefor they must be sturdily mounted so as to be accurately retained in a co-planar relation to one another with their axes parallel and so as to effectively withstand the strain imposed by the tension of the wire being drawn and the drums should be so formed as to prevent dislodgement of the wire therefrom. It is further desirable that the individual units comprising the drums and the associated die holders and dies be readily adjustable, and conveniently removable for servicing or replacement.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a unit of the character indicated which admirably fulfills the aforesaid requirements.

Another object is to provide a drum and die holder unit which is of a form such that it can be economically manufactured.

Another object is to provide a novel form of multi-part drum which is so formed that the portion thereof about which the wire is adapted to be wrapped is made of a hard wear-resisting material and is accurately located co-axial with the axis of rotation of the drum and forms with the other parts of the drum, a peripheral wire receiving groove which precludes axial travel of the wire on the drum.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail one illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a preferred arrangement of a plurality of the units which comprise the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation view on an enlarged scale of two adjacent units; and

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are cross section views taken substantially along the lines 3-3, 4-4, and 55 respectively, of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing and first more especially to Fig. 1 which is a diagrammatic representation of an exemplary form of apparatus with which the present improvements may be conveniently used, the numeral 1 designates the upper portion of a main supporting frame formed with a vertically disposed front wall 2 from which a plurality of circularly arranged drawings units 3 project forwardly. As will hereinafter appear, each of said units 3 comprises a rotary capstan or drum with a tangentially disposed die associated therewith whereby wire or like elongated material W entering the apparatus at 4 for example and wrapped around successive drums and threaded through said dies will be subjected to successive drafts and finally withdrawn from the apparatus as at 5 for subsequent spooling, coiling or like operations. During such drawing operation a suitable lubricant is squirted into each die and onto the wire passing therethrough as by the circularly arranged and generally radially disposed ducts 6 which have their inner ends m communication with a pressurized lubricant supply chamber 1 formed centrally of the front face of Wall 2.

With the aforesaid apparatus in mind, reference will now be made to the remaining figures of the drawing which clearly illustrate a preferred form of the drawing unit 3 both as to its detail construction and its mounting in the main frame I. As best shown in Fig. 3, the main frame in addition to being formed with a vertically disposed front wall 2 is formed with a'wall 8 which is spaced rearwardly of and parallel to the wall 2, such walls being formed with aligned openings 9 and I0 therethrough.

Each of the drawing units 3 comprises a-bearing shell I I loosely fitted into such aligned openings 9 and I and secured in place as by a plurality of stud and nut elements [2 and 13 through the flange M of said shell with said studs threaded into wall 8. Within said shell are a pair of axially spaced bearings 15 which serve to rotatably support a spindle IS .in said shell, said spindle, as shown, having its opposite ends projecting through said shell rearwardly of wall 8 and forwardly of wall 2.

Closely fitted within the front end of said shell I l and within a die holder ring I! held as by bolts [8 to the front face of wall 2 is .a sealing ring l9 which operates both as a fluid seal and as a supplementary lateral support means .for the front end of said shell H and said spindle l6. As shown, the opposite end portions of said ring [9 have close telescopic fits within the opening of member I! which is secured to wall 2 and within the adjacent end of the .bearing shell II respectively whereas the inter-mediate portion of said ring i9 is exposed to the space between walls 2 and it. Thus, in the event of leakage of lubricant from shell Hpast the end portion of said ring [9 such lubricant may simply drain off the ring into the space between walls 2 and .8 and similarly in the event of leakage of the lubricant and coolant employed in the drawing operation (such as a specially prepared drawing compound, soap water, oil mixed with mealor .fiour, or the like) from the capstan side of wall 2 to the other side pastthe adjacent end portion of ring IE will drain off the intermediate v ortion of the ring into the space between walls 2 and 8.

In this way the bearing lubricant from within shell H is precluded from contaminating the drawing lubricant and vice versa the drawing lubricant is precluded from entering within the bearing shell II to contaminate the bearing lubricant. In other words, the respective 1ubricants will sooner drip from the intermediate portion of the ring l9 than flow through a narrow gap thereadjacent. Asa further feature, the space between Walls 2 and 8 is of value .to receive lubricant which might leak from the spindle driving mechanism side of Wall 8, again eliminating possibility of contamination with or by the drawing lubricant.

Fitted over the forwardly projecting end of said spindle is a drum 2%) comprising two adjacent cylindrical parts 21 and 2-2 which are formed in their juxtaposed faces with complementary recesses-for receiving an annulus 23 therebetween, such recesses including axially extending annular lips 24 and 2 which closely embrace the end portions of said annulus to thereby locate the latter so that its cylindrical outer face is co-axial with said spindle It. It is about said annulus 23 that the wire is adapted to be wrapped and drawn through the adjacent die 26 in response to rotation of said drum, and therefore said annulus will preferably be made from hardened steel or like wear-resisting material. It will'be observed that inasmuch as the diameter of said annulus is less than that of the parts 2! and 22 between which it is disposed, it will form with said parts a peripheral groove around said drum so that the wire will be retained axially of the drum.

Said drumparts 2i and -22 are held together with the annulus clamped therebetween by means of bolts 21, and, in turn, the drum as a whole is non-rotatably secured to said spindle l6 by means of a set screw 28 in the part2! having its end-engaged in a keyway slot 29 formed in said spindle, such fastening means permitting axial adjustment of the drum on said spindle so that a plurality of drums when arranged in the manner indicated can be positioned with their annuli 23 in a common plane whereby to preclude the possibility of the wire being drawn jumping from the peripheral grooves around said drums.

Driving of the drum 2.0.15 efiected through a pinion 3B keyed onto the rearwardly projecting end of said spindle [6, said pinion 30 in the assemblage referred to being one of a cluster of gears (not shown) carried in the upper rear portion of the frame I.

The drum 20 loosely fits within a recess 3| formed .in the die holder ring 1! whereby the latter operates as a guard. Furthermore because the drum has uninterrupted outer surfaces the possibility of injuring the operator or his clothing is thereby minimized.

Said ring 11, as best shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, has a die holding lug .32 projecting forwardly therefrom, such lug including a seat 33 for receiving a die .26 with the desired size of flared die opening .34 therethrough. Such lug 32 locates the die 26 with its opening 34 disposed tangentially between adjacent drums 2i! and to facilitate removal and insertion of said die, the lug is intersected by a .slot 35 which enables positioning of said die by movement thereof transversely of its axis.

Each die 26 is yieldably retained in its respectiVe seat 33 by the outer end of the associated spring actuated lubricant duct '6 which is oscillatoril-y carried by a cover plate 35 bolted onto the front face of wall v2. A spring 3! interposed between said duct and .the lug 32 on the next adjacent ring J! ,is operative to urge the outer end of said duct 6 into engagement withsaid die 25 to thereby yieldably retain said die in its seat. The rod 38 .in each duct, as set forth in the copending application of Walter E. Rogers and Norman H. Nye, Serial No. 658,762, filed April 1,, 1946, is operative upon the shifting of the duct in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, to project through the discharge opening 39 of the duct for clearing the same, such discharge opening 39 being directed so as to supply lubricant into the die opening 34 and onto the wire being drawn therethrough. The inner end of each duct has communication with the chamber 1 which contains lubricant under pressure supplied thereto as through a supply conduit (not shown) connected to the central opening 40 in the wall 2. A plug 4| is screwed into the center of the cover P plate 3.6 to provide convenientaccess to the opening 40 and to the lubricant chamber 1. As shown, each of said ducts is provided with a projection 42 to enable convenient manipulation vfor the purpose of clearing the discharge passage '39 and at the same time of permitting removal and insertion of the die 26.

Having thus described a preferred construction-of drawing unit-3 it is now apparent that the strain on the drum 2.0 andspindle [6 as imposed by the tension of the Wire being drawn is effectively resisted by the provision of widely spaced bearings IE on the spindle and the additional support provided by the sealing ring 19. Additionally, the drum as such is readily removable simplyby loosening of the set screw 28 and correspcndingly the .die holder ring I! may be conveniently removed simply by loosening the bolts it which secure the same to Wall .2. Thus, both the drum and the die holder are rendered individually removable for servicing or replacement.

As a further feature, the drawing unit 3 is formed so that the wear resisting annulus 23 on the drum 20 is accurately positioned co -axial with the axis of rotation of the drum and so that the wire wrapped around said annulus is constantly drawn straight through the associated die 26. Obviously such arrangement greatly improves the drawing action over that obtained if said annulus were disposed eccentrically of such axis of rotation or in a plane different from the annuli and dies of the other units, in which latter cases the wire would be drawn angularly through the die.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a bearing shell, a spindle journalled in said shell, a wire drawing capstan on said spindle adjacent to said shell, a supporting wall between said capstan and said shell formed with an opening through which said spindle extends, a ring member on said spindle having opposite end portions respectively in close telescopic relation with such opening in said wall and with the adjacent end of said shell whereby to laterally support said spindle and said shell, said ring member further having an intermediate portion from which lubricants employed in the drawing operation and in the bearing shell may drain between said wall and said shell in the event of leakage of the lubricants past the respective end portions of said ring member whereby to avoid contamination of one lubricant by the other within said shell and around said capstan.

2. In a wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pair of spaced supporting walls, a bearing shell between said walls having one end secured to one wall, a spindle journalled in said shell and extending axially therebeyond, a wire drawing capstan on said spindle, the other wall being disposed transversely between said capstan and said shell and being formed with an opening through which said spindle extends, and a ring member on said spindle having opposite end portions respectively in close telescopic relation with r such opening and with the adjacent end of said shell whereby to laterally support said spindle and said shell, said ring member further having an intermediate portion which is in fluid communication with the space between said walls I and from which lubricants employed in the drawing operation and in the bearing shell may drain into such space in the event of leakage of the lubricants past the respective end portions of said ring member whereby to avoid contamination of one lubricant by the other within said shell and around said capstan.

3. The structure according to claim 2 characterized further in that said spindle extends through said one wall, and in that a driving member is mounted on said spindle adjacent to said one wall whereby such space is disposed between said capstan and said driving member :to receive lubricants which may leak through said walls and thereby preclude contamination of the lubricants one by the other at said driven member and around said capstan.

4. A mechanism for drawing wire comprising a spindle, a wire drawing drum on said spindle comprising axially adjacent parts each slipfitted on one end of said spindle and an annulus between the juxtaposed faces of said parts defining therewith a peripheral groove around which wire is adapted to be wrapped, axially extending screw means within said drum but radially outward of said spindle for drawing said parts together to frictionally clamp said annulus therebetween whereby said parts and annulus may be axially slipped onto and oh said spindle as a unit, said spindle being formed with an axially extending keyway adjacent such end thereof and within the drum part nearest the end of said spindle, and a key member having threaded engagement with the last-mentioned part and having an end portion engageable with such keyway at any desired point axially therealong so as to non-rotatably secure said drum on said spindle at a desired axial position.

5. The structure according to claim 4 characterized further in that such keyway starts a short distance from the end of said spindle whereby to render said drum irremovable from said spindle except by unscrewing of said key member to disengage the inner end portion from such keyway.

6. A wire drawing drum adapted for mounting onto a drive spindle therefor, comprising axially adjacent parts formed with opposed radial faces and axially aligned central openings, an annulus between said parts defining, with such faces, a peripheral groove, of which the bottom surface is defined by the outer surface of said annulus, axially extending screw means within said parts and annulus and radially outward of such openings for drawing said parts together to clamp said annulus therebetween while at the same time holding said parts and annulus together as a unit whereby said drum may be bodily slipped onto and off a spindle having an end portion of diameter corresponding to the diameter of the central openings of said parts, one of said parts being formed with a threaded passage leading angularly from that end of said part remote from said annulus through the central opening of said part, and a key member having threaded engagement in such passage and an inner end portion adapted, upon screwing in of said key member, to extend radially inward of the wall of the central opening of said one part and thereby adapted to extend into a keyway Or the like in a drive spindle for non-rotatably and axially fixedly securing said drum onto a spindle.

EDWIN J. MCILVRIED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,927,673 Allen, Sept. 19, 1933 2,049,053 Evans July 28, 1936 2,211,392 Taylor Aug. 13, 1940 2,215,235 Tubbs Sept. 17, 1940 2,218,742 Butler Oct. 29, 1940 2,232,206 Bruestle Feb. 18, 1941 2,237,527 Lewis Apr. 8, 1941 2,267,564 McIlvried Dec. 23, 1941 2,311,815 Briney Feb. 23, 1943 2,435,086 Lack Jan. 27, 1948 2,512,564 Dickson June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 286,459 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1928 

